I know I know – I try not to flaunt my AMAAAAAYYYYYYYYYZing housekeeping skills too often, but today I came across a tip that was just TOO good not to share it with you. REady? Have your pen and paper handy to jot this down?

Ok. Next time you notice that its taking your dryer like, an hour to get 13 socks and 3 towels dry, try CLEANING OUT YOUR LINT TRAP! VOILA!!!! Instantly better energy efficiency! Now, you may be like me and decide to knit a few sweaters out of the lint that you remove from your lint trap. I have also heard of people donating their beach ball sized rolls of dryer lint to the fire stations for practice setting fires, or sending boxes of dryer lint to refugees in Siberia who use it for insulation  – but whatever you choose to do with it, enjoy your newly found free time from not having to run the dryer three times per load!

don’t say you never learned anything from terra talking. The proof is RIGHT THERE!!!!

I could not stop laughing today at the ginormous amount of lint that had piled up in our lint trap. Its just one of those things that is not high on my priority list I guess…

Anyways – in other funny news – you’ve all seen the email forwards of random lists of questions – instead of trying to find everyone’s email address, I am posting my answers here and love to see you all’s answers. Email them to me at terra@2sisphotos.com

Let’s have a little fun.  I would like this back please!!!  Here is what you are supposed to do, hit forward, delete my answers and type in your answers.  Then send this to a bunch of people that you know and send it back to me so I can see your answers.  The theory is that you will learn a lot of little unknown facts about those you know.  Remember to send it back please.
> 
> 1.  WHERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?      The house in Gone with the Wind and Abraham’s father. My parents were hippies.
> 2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?     Oh for heaven’s sake. I’m pregnant. I cry at the drop of a hat.

>  3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?     I prefer fonts on the computer to handwriting.

> 4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?   Gag me. I usually hate to think about lunchmeat. But I HATE turkey.

> 5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?     Yes. With a neverending limit to them apparently…

> 6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?     Probably depends on what other person I was.
> 7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?    Me? Sarcasm? HA. Rarely.
> 8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?    Unless they fell out without me knowing it…
> 9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? If I lost enough weight to not fear breaking the cord – definitely!

> 10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?    Cap’n Crunch Crunchberries

> 11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM Off?   Not if I can help it!

> 12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?   I like to think of myself as emotionally strong. Physically – way too out of shape.

> 13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?  A root beer float.

> 14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their facial expressions.
> 15. RED OR PINK?   Pink. What a random question…are we talking lipstick? Car color? Blush?

> 17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My best friends from high school and college. They kept me connected to who I was at a time I didn’t even know what that meant.

>  18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?    Yes, duh
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?    Light tan colored pants, green running shoes.

> 20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?   Raisin bran cereal

> 21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?   Kealey and karissa arguing over a piece of gum

> 22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?   Rockstar Red

> 23. FAVORITE SMELLS?   My babies after strawberry shampoo, baby soap, downy on my sheets, and my Ralph Lauren Blue perfume

> 24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? The receptionist at the midwife office so I could get lectured about waiting too long to make my appointments. Like duh, I did it on purpose.

> 25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I love her. I think she is the epitome of grace under pressure.

> 26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?  My Mariners. When they’re having a good season. (American League Baseball.)

> 28. EYE COLOR?  brown
> 29. Do you wear contacts? Could not function without them

30. FAVORITE FOOD?  BucaDiBeppo chicken parm with garlic mashed potatoes. But I try to not discriminate against any food. I love it all.

>  31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDIngs?  Happy endings definitely. I hate artsy movies that have gay endings that make you want to swear when you walk out instead of feeling all warm and fuzzy.

> 32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?  Ummmm…..Rounders. But I was too busy cooking to get to really watch it.

> 33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU Wearing?  Gray.

> 34. SUMMER OR WINTER?     Summer – HOLLA! I love snow, but hate the cold.
> 35. HUGS OR KISSES? I agree with Brenna – depends on from whom I am preferring this receipt of love.
> 36. FAVORITE DESSERT?   Portillo’s chocolate cake

> 37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
> 38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?  
> 39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READing NOW?  The Innocent Man by John Grisham. Took me five chapters to realize it was non-fiction/true crime.

> 40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?  This insanely gay 80’s pattern of elliptical teal and green dots.

> 41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? The Redwings/Penguins Stanley Cup game. I do not control the remote when my husband is home.

> 42. FAVORITE SOUND?     The deafening white noise emanating from the three fans/air purifiers running in our room at nite – instantly lulls me to sleep and drowns out any other noise.

> 43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?Probably more Beatles songs would find their way into my repertoire.

> 44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?  I don’t really know where home is sometimes. So I guess I would say Central Mexico.

> 45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?  I have no wrist tendons so I can squeeze my fingers together to be smaller than my wristbones and get out of any pair of handcuffs. I have not had to try this very often. But I can do it. I also have  a special talent for  being able to find almost any random piece of paper or info in the many piles I am also famous for creating. (Brenna – we’ll have to have  a competition sometime…)

> 46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?    Lynchburg, VA

> 47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?  everyones> 
> 48. WHAT TIME IS IT NOW?   11:26 am. Wouldn’t this question be more effective if we had had to answer a question at the beginning about what time it was when we started???

> Have a great Day!

I hope you play along!!

I’ll have more mindless drivel to bore you with soon!

T-crest

Holy facheezy. It still works. I am scared to shut down this browser window. i think its MAGICAL!!! Maybe I should go buy some lottery tickets with it or something!!!

I do’nt honestly have a lot to post about right now, but am feeling like I should simply because I CAN.

I am making progress on the special projects I have had on my list for about 2 months now. i tackled the girls’ room on Wednesday. It took me over 5 hours to get their clothes sorted by season and age, ready to put in the garage sale pile or save to pass down, clean out the closet, clean out the 827 stuffed animals and other small toys that have taken up residence on, under and across karissa’s bed, and throw away approximately 53 unmatched socks.  I must say I am slightly concerned with where the other 53 could possibly be hiding…

But anyways – that was a huge load off. Kaylen’s clothes are all pretty organized already – I did that last summer when I was nesting! She is finally starting to grow out of her newborn onesies (at almost 10 months!), so I do need to go through and weed those ones out. And then tackle my own closet and I’ll be set. Then we get to start in on the basement/toys. That honestly gives me the heebie jeebies just to consider.  My perfectly laid out plan of allowing the basement to just be the toy free-for-all has somewhat backfired on me. I mean, sure its a free-for-all. Just not in that lovingly played with way. And i HATE throwing perfectly good stuff away. Maybe, if I end up feeling too tired for the garage sale, i’ll just make a large box up and post it on craigslist or something. Or the scavengers who drive through our neighborhood every Sunday nite will have a sweet find.

OH MY GOSH.

Speaking of sweet finds…

I can’t believe it took me this long to find this. But there is this little Mexican market by Karissa’s dance class. I’ve seen it a hundred times but never went in there till last nite when I thought it would save me a trip to the slowest meijer on the face of this earth by running in there to see if they had avocados. I walk in and was INSTANTLY hit with the smells of mexico (which aren’t all bad by the way).  Its that spicy meaty pantry type smell…mmmmmmm. Anyways, there was lots of good stuff in there (including avocados and limos) but most important – THEY HAD MEXICAN COKE!!!!!!! Now if you really and truly know me, you know that i am very picky about my coke tastes. Sometimes you want it from the can, sometimes you need it from McD’s, sometimes you need an AM/PM fountain with a splash of cherry syrup, and sometimes, you just need a mexican coke. I am SO happy to report that I have now found an easier source of getting mexican coke than going on a missions trip to mexico!!! It was so good with my chipotle last nite – i savored every last drop of it. They also had Pina coke in the bottles which I got to enjoy this afternoon if its warm enough outside. And yes, I realize I have a neurotic obsession with carbonated beverages and I am ok with that.

In other news today, I just have a little more maintenance housework to do (put away all the laundry we folded last nite, attack the bathrooms, and *gag* do the floors.)  I have also already cleaned the oven and counters and table this morning and did the fridge and dishwasher bleaching/cleaning yesterday. Its like some odd form of nesting except I am not nesting… spring cleaning fever maybe?

I don’t think I posted about this here, but I have also accepted the position of Children’s Ministry Director at our church.  That gets underway officially on June 1, but since I have been involved with the ministry for a few months now, i’ll be doing some transitioning over the next few weeks with meetings and whatnot. i am very excited to be a part of such a great ministry and working with kids who now include my own! (Last time I was a children’s director i wasn’t even pregnant with kealey yet!) This is going to require a lot more pre-planning and organization on my part, but I am honestly looking forward to it. I think its going to force me into a more productive frame of mind and help me to set up some schedules which we very much need here in atkinson-land.

I am also currently planning our first MOPS leadership team meeting which is also very exciting. i have missed having MOPS around for the support of surrounding yourself with other moms who feel and experience the same things you do on a daily basis. i am excited to be a part of bringing another group to our local area and seeing the impact it can have on other moms.

Apparently its snack time at the zoo because the banshees are circling…

so hopefully this actually posts and i can be happy again that all is well in blogville.

thanks to everyone who emailed wondering if i was dead or alive.

never fear. i may be down, but never out!

peace.

t

Yeah yeah yeah i know i have been massively absent from my own blog for weeks now. have you ever just gotten to that point where you knew you were barely above a functioning level? I have been there pretty much since we came back from vacation. I am pretty sure this is health related and in fact may actually have the answer pinpointed, but I think I have a few more days or weeks to wait to share it here. I’ll be ok, its nothing life-threatening. Just something to adjust to.

Anyhoo- on to other things.

Today is track Tuesday and today’s soundtrack comes from my very own better half, Benjamin.  Sorry its not all nicely typed out – refer to above issues.

His track is entitled:

Mostly Random Songs that no one has heard of

(and a few that everyone has

• • U2 – Electrical Storm
  • U2 – In God’s Country
  • Bruce Springsteen – Glory Days
  • Big & Rich – Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy
  • Bruce Hornsby- Show Goes On
  • Yes – Big Generator
  • Kenny Loggins – Danger Zone
  • Metallica – Wherever I May Roam

(Ok honestly – Bruce Hornsby? And I know where the Danger Zone one comes from – because you want to be like Tom Cruise and race the airplane taking off on your bike. You have a need, a need for SPEEEEEEDDDDD don’cha?)

Anyways – I hope you enjoy those random songs – I do believe most of them are well suited for days like today, cruising down the road with the windows rolled down, singing along at the top of your lungs. The kind of day and music that just re-energizes you, no matter how poopy you may have been feeling.

Yes i do believe its going to be a nice hot one out there today!

We actually have a very low-key week ahead of us and its so nice. After the chaotic aftermath of last weekend – I am enjoying having really nothing to stress over for a good few weeks. I mean, don’t get me wrong, i still am busy – but not CHAOTIC busy like the past couple weeks/months/year. We have Kaylen’s hearing re-check and ear tube checking on Thursday, so hopefully that gets the thumbs up that we were able to reverse the complete loss she had on her left side.

Today my goals include starting on the jungle of a mess that has become the girls’ closet. Karissa comes out every day in yet another outfit that is at least 2 sizes too small for her and completely inappropriate to the weather outside. Definitely time to get in there and clean that out. Debating having a garage sale sometime soon or just dumping it all off at goodwill.

Holy random thoughts today.

Ok- i’ll come back if anything exciting happens. thanks to all of you who do faithfully check here every day in the hopes that some day i will break out of this funktasticness and get back on the bloggin’ trail. I think I am almost out of the woods. Days like today help a lot. That and finding a random $100 bill. (Not likely to happen but a girl can dream, right?)

I need new tarts. Any scent suggestions? This egyptian cotton one I a m burning smells like….soap on crack. Its disturbing. But, like emily pointed out – at least soap smells clean. Which I can’t argue with. so in spite of all evidence otherwise – at least my house SMELLS clean. Hope you are all easily fooled.

Leave me a funny comment. Make me laugh today.

Hope you all enjoy this gorgeous weather ! Not too much longer till this is our everyday gloriousness!

Mwah.

Heart me -

terra

Could wordpress + livewriter BE ANYMORE STUPID?!?!?!?!?

Ok i can feel my blood pressure going up just thinking about how gay this all is.

Now that I think I have a way to post around the idiocy….let’s see if i can get Tuesday’s post up shall we?